I need a date on this fan trip. (See photos)

Any help would be appreciated.


69th St or Llanerch (sp) ?

BM: Judging by the two Red Arrow pictures that you posted this looks to be sometime during the 1960s
and may even pre-date the creation of SEPTA which was in 1965...The first PSTC photo is on a street-running
segment (perhaps today's 102 Sharon Hill route) with the second at the 69th Street Shops in Upper Darby...
Sometimes vehicles in older photos like these can help get an idea of a date - but here it is inconclusive...
The winged horse sign and Coca-Cola machine are both classics in the Mobil gas station visible...MACTRAXX

I think MACTRAXX is correct. The upper photo looks like the cars are headed inbound (sorry, MACTRAXX!) just approaching the Media Line overhead bridge at Clifton-Aldan station, and the second could be Llanerch, which had to be replaced by 69th St. when the Ardmore and West Chester lines were bussed. And is that a Hog Island car behind the Birney? Red Arrow acquired three at some point way back when heavy ridership required getting some more cars quickly. Those cars were repainted in the Red Arrow scheme, so the photo may date from the short period between acquisition and repainting. I don't think double-enders were ever deployed on the 20, so maybe that one was used on a fantrip over the Red Arrow before going into service?

An afterthought: anybody know what a Birney was doing on the Red Arrow? And in that paint scheme?

Thank you ExCon90

Any idea where this is ?

I'm not 100% certain, but it looks like the Naylor's Run Bridge between the Congress Ave and Beverly Blvd. stations.

Looks to me like the bridge at Smedley Park just west of Paper Mill Road on the Media line.

Further to the second photo, Ron DeGraw's book on the Red Arrow, which covers the period ending in 1948, states that the three Hog Island cars were acquired in 1942 to handle the increased wartime ridership, so that would be the earliest date for the fantrip photo. Those cars were repainted in the Red Arrow livery, I would assume before entering service, which leaves a rather narrow window. In the second photo the lead car carries a notice reading

TRANSIT
[something]
ASSOC

Does that convey anything that identifies the trip sponsor?

ExCon90 wrote: ↑Fri Jul 29, 2022 11:39 pm Looks to me like the bridge at Smedley Park just west of Paper Mill Road on the Media line.

Yes, after a more-thorough search I agree it's Smedley Park. FWIW as kids we took the trolley to both parks but after 50 years the memories are a bit hazy.

Here's a more recent photo from Bob Vogel's collection showing the bridge construction matches.

A nagging question: in the Smedley park photo one car has both trolley poles up -- can't be sure about the other -- and the operator seems either to have just raised or be about to lower the one at his end. Would they be reversing direction out on the bridge, and if so why on the bridge and if not, what are they doing?

ExCon90 wrote: A nagging question: in the Smedley park photo one car has both trolley poles up -- can't be sure about the other -- and the operator seems either to have just raised or be about to lower the one at his end. Would they be reversing direction out on the bridge, and if so why on the bridge and if not, what are they doing?

Maybe the the cars were posed for the photo and they made a reverse move to complete the fan trip.

The 2nd photo is at Llanarch car barn in the mid 1960s showing Conestoga Traction Co.'s Birney 236, now running at the Ephrata, Pennsylvania train station, and Metroplitan Philadelphia Rwy. Ass'n.'s Philadelphia Rapid Transit - Philadelphia Transportation Co. 5327 with the wrong route sign.
Dr. Cox's Surface Cars of Philadelphia does have a photo of an older 1918 double end Hog Island car running on Rte. 20 on Jan. 26,1 920.

JimBoylan wrote: ↑Sat Aug 06, 2022 12:02 pm The 2nd photo is at Llanarch car barn in the mid 1960s showing Conestoga Traction Co.'s Birney 236, now running at the Ephrata, Pennsylvania train station, and Metroplitan Philadelphia Rwy. Ass'n.'s Philadelphia Rapid Transit - Philadelphia Transportation Co. 5327 with the wrong route sign.
Dr. Cox's Surface Cars of Philadelphia does have a photo of an older 1918 double end Hog Island car running on Rte. 20 on Jan. 26,1 920.

Thanks for that -- I figured somebody on here would know.

That first picture, as noted above, is indeed the Sharon Hill line where Springfield Road meets Woodlawn and Pennsylvania Avenues. West Chester/Media Line bridge would be behind the photographer. The gas station on the left is now a small park, and there is a current SEPTA stop behind the trolley.

The cars in the background definitely look 1950s - not late 50s models, but early 50s, pre-1955.